


Let Me Kiss You

by Lynx42



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Blood and Violence, College, Dates, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, Fights, First Kiss, Friendship, Gangs, Guns, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, War, arthur is around for a while i guess for story, ash as mafia boss, ash being over protective, dino is dead because i hate him, mafia, mute eiji for a little while, nobody dies that are the good people, shorter is a live in this story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-09-23 09:05:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17077391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynx42/pseuds/Lynx42
Summary: Ash is a mafia boss and has been having this weird dream every night about somebody that is crying out as the person calls out his name. If things weren't bad enough, he has to deal with others rival mafia famigia. That's when he meets a boy one day at a cafe, but he doesn't speak, but Ash doesn't care and is curious about the boy, but somehow he gets involves in Ash's world.





	1. Hello

**Author's Note:**

> I always had this thought of Ash being a mafia boss  
> and decided why not try it since I already had the story planned out.

“Ash!” The blond woke up from his sleep. It was the same dream he had over and over again. There was always somebody calling out his name in a hurt tone of voice. Ash was sure that somebody was also crying, but Ash didn’t know the reason why he was.

Ash was panting as he woke up with sweat all over his body. The blond put his hand on this head, thinking about the dream he just had. Ash didn’t understand why he kept having the same dream.

The voice of the stranger that was in his dream was soft yet sad. He was crying lots and inside Ash wanted him to stop crying but he couldn’t. There was nothing he could do. Ash wondered why the stranger was crying, what made him feel that pain.

“Ash.” There was a knock on the door of Ash’s room. It was the voice of his best friend.

“Shorter,” Ash said.

The door opened, and Shorter walked in.

“What is it?” Ash asked.

“I heard you woke up from my room.”

“Sorry,” Ash said.

“Is it that dream again?” Shorter asked.

“Yea.” Ash had told Shorter about his strange dreams even his best friend didn’t know what to think of it.

“Maybe it’s guiding you.”

“How?” Ash looked confused at Shorter by his statement.

“Maybe the dream wants you to find this crying person.”

“If this person is even real, Shorter.”

“Who knows?” Shorter chuckled.

Ash looked at the time and saw they had plenty of time left since it was still midnight.

“I’m going back to sleep,” Ash said.

“Okay.” Shorter left the room, and Ash went back onto his bed, and hope this time he could sleep without having any weird dreams.

That same early morning Ash couldn’t get up as he would have. He still had that dream, and this made it hard for him even to fall back asleep which he had hoped.

He sat there on his bed with the blankets all over him; it was also pretty cold early in the morning when it had been raining all night long yesterday and still was today.

Ash managed to get his butt out of bed and headed to the washroom. He looked at himself on the mirror and saw how horrible he looked. Ash’s reflection was bad with red eyes because of not being able to sleep.

The blond splashed water over his face to help with his tiredness.

Once Ash was done washing up he changed into his casual clothes and went to the main room in his house.

“Good morning boss.” Alex was the first to greet Ash went he entered the room.

“Good morning.” Everybody said the same thing after.

Ash lived in a big mansion. He didn’t live alone, and Ash wasn’t an average person.

“Bad news.” Shorter entered the room while holding a file in his hand.

“What is it?” Ash didn’t want any bad news right now with the horrible way he woke up but it looked like that was precisely what he was getting.

“The Misfire [Famiglia](http://reborn.wikia.com/wiki/Vongola_Famiglia) are starting up trouble again.”

“Really.” Ash scratched his head feeling annoyed.

“Boss, we’ll go check up on them.” Alex saw the way Ash looked and wanted to help in any way.

“We’ll go as well.” Kong and Bones said in union.

Ash was grateful for having them around when he needed them.

The blond wants to deal with them right now with some many things he already had to deal with being a mafia boss in New York. Shorter was Ash’s best friend and was not part of his famiglia, but another but Shorter helped Ash out many times, and it was a vice verse for Shorter too.

Ash was probably just seventeen when he killed Dino Golzine, and Ash felt happy when he did. The blond felt no regret since that man had ruined his life, so he was glad that man was gone out of his life.

When he died Ash took over as mafia boss and changed everything around them

“Shorter, I need coffee.”

“Sure.”

“Not yours since it tastes shitty.”

“Thanks, man.” Shorter pretended to act hurt by Ash's words.

The two went to a café not far from where Ash stayed. It was a small café, and that was probably the day Ash’s life changed.

Ash and Shorter had gotten seated and waited for their order when Ash noticed a new face. He was sitting on his own with a coffee on my hand and a book in another. The boy’s features looked young and innocent.

The boy was Asian but looked different from Shorter and the other Chinese people that Ash knew. The boy had black hair and black eyes. Those eyes looked as if they could draw you in and the blond couldn’t take his eyes off of the stranger.

“Who are you looking at?” Shorter turned around and spotted the boy that Ash had been staring at since the two had arrived in the café. “That’s a new face.”

Ash and even Shorter knew the people around New York but whom they saw was different.

The server came with their coffee, and that’s when Shorter asked the server what Ash was probably thinking even himself.

“Who’s that boy?”

“Oh, him.” The server thought for a moment. “He comes here often but doesn’t speak much and orders the same thing.”

“Is that so?”

Ash got up from his seat that made Shorter surprised by his best friend’s actions. The blond then walked to where the boy was sitting and sat right across from him.

The boy noticed that somebody had sat across from him and looked up as he put his book down. The boy was shocked by the appearance of the stranger. Blond hair like the yellow sun and those eyes of his was Jade. It was beautiful for the boy.

“Hi there,” Ash spoke.

The boy just nodded his head. He didn’t know what to say or to do in this matter.

Ash didn’t understand why this new boy didn’t say a word to him when he spoke to him that’s when he saw the book take out his phone and typed something quickly.

“Hello.” That was what was typed on the boy’s phone.

Ash didn’t understand why the boy was speaking with his phone rather than using his mouth. It seemed like the boy knew what Ash thought because he typed something else and showed it to the blond.

“Sorry, but I can’t speak.”

That’s when Ash understood everything.

“I’m Eiji Okumura.” The boy introduced himself.

Even though it was kind of strange for somebody to speak to Ash with his phone the blond didn’t mind.

“You’re new around here, right.”

“Yea. I just arrived a week ago. I’m attending college.” Eiji said.

“So you live alone.”

“Yes. I was living with my father’s friend for the time being while when I first got here. I then decided to live on my own.”

As Eiji was speaking to Ash through his friend, there were many questions in his head.

“Hey.” Eiji started.

“What?” Ash said staring at the boy.

“Don’t you want to say something that I can’t speak to you directly?” Eiji asked.

When Eiji was at college or anywhere else there were people who found him weird. Some even thought it was gross that he couldn’t say the words he wanted. He lost a lot of friends because of his voice.

“Why?” Ash asked. “Sure it’s weird, but it’s not your fault.”

Eiji smiled at Ash with his reply.

Eiji got up and looked at the time on his wristwatch and saw it was about time he had to leave.

“Sorry but I have to head to class now.” He told Ash.

Even though Ash wanted to speak to this boy longer, a different way than most people, he felt sad that Eiji had to leave.

“Can I get your number?” Ash blurred out.

“Sure.” Eiji smiled.

So the two exchanged number and this way Ash hope he would see Eiji again.

The Japanese boy packed his things inside his backpack and then headed out, but he waves Ash a goodbye before Eiji went out the door.

“What was that?” Shorter asked when Ash went back to his seat where Shorter was seating.

“Just making small talk.”

“Sure but you never approach strangers you never met before.” Shorter explained what Ash was like since the older man has known Ash for a pretty long time.

Then a question mark appeared in Shorter’s head.

“Are you into that boy?”

“Maybe.” That was all Ash had to say.

All day Ash was in a good mood that everybody thought that something was wrong with him to expect for Shorter who knew why Ash was acting not like himself.

“What did that boy do to him?” Shorter mumbled.

That evening Bones and Kong barged into the mansion, and they were panting like crazy.

“What happened?” Shorter was the first to find them.

Ash came into the room right after, and his happy face changed into one that was serious.

“What is it?” Ash asked.

“Arthur’s famiglia is making trouble with the locals,” Kong told Ash and Shorter.

“Why is he always making trouble for me?” Ash sighed.

This was probably the fifth time that Ash had to deal with Arthur.

“Let’s go!” Ash said grabbing his jacket from the couch that he left earlier when he arrived.

The bones including Shorter followed Ash. Shorter called his boys for back up if something terrible happened.

It was getting later, and Eiji had just finished his classes for the night, and he was glad it was over. The people in class always gave him those looks. Eiji couldn’t even say anything to him when he tried with his phone they all gave them that look.

“Why can’t he speak like a normal person.”

“We can’t deal with reading what he said.”

Eiji then remembers the person he met at the café, the one with blond hair. Now that Eiji recalls that he didn’t get beautiful person’s name.

As Eiji was walking home, a guy ran past him making the Japanese drop his phone which he was holding, and the guy had also made Eiji fall to the ground flat.

“Ouch.” The guy didn’t even apologize or see if Eiji was okay.

Eiji got up from the fall and dusted his clothes off, but then his face turned to horror when he saw the phone on the ground, and it was broken. A small tear fell from the young man’s face.

“ _Why_?” He asked, of course, nobody to answer him.

Eiji was upset since that phone was expensive and now it was dead with the screen cracked and even when Eiji tried to on it the phone wouldn’t turn on.

The young man then heard footsteps coming but even, so his eyes were on his broken phone, and in his head, the Japanese kept thinking the same thing over and over again about his phone.

“Eiji.” When the young man heard his name being called, he finally turned around.

It was the person whom Eiji had met before at the Café.

“What happened to you?” Ash saw the way Eiji looked. His clothes were a mess, and then those Jade eyes went to Eiji’s black tearful eyes. “Who did this?”

Eiji couldn’t answer with his phone, so he took out a pen and his notepad and wrote on it instead.

“Somebody bumped into me and ran off.”

Ash then saw a scratch on Eiji’s face, and that made Ash angry. He wiped the bleed that was coming out with his shirt sleeve.

“Come on let’s get out of here,” Ash said grabbing Eiji by the hand.

Eiji didn’t have time to write something else since Ash was a little forceful.

“It’s going to get even darker soon.” He said.

Ash met with the group but they were surprised when the boss was not alone, but a stranger was that to top it up it was a boy.

“It’s that kid.” Shorter said.

“My name is Eiji Okumura.” Eiji quickly wrote. “And I’m a 19-year-old college student.”

Everybody was surprised what Eiji was written but more surprised what he was 19 and not a kid as they thought he was.

“You’re 19.” Even Ash seemed surprised.

“He’s older than you Ash.” Shorter said.

“We don’t have time for this right now,” Ash said.

He ordered everybody to head back to the base since Arthur’s guys had run off.

“Are you taking Eiji with us?” Shorter asked.

“Yea. I don’t want to take him home this late at night. It’s dangerous.”

“Okay.”

So the famiglia headed back to the mansion with Eiji with them.


	2. Involved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished Ch. 2  
> Some bonding with Ash and EIji  
> Sing shows up, and Shorter is worried.

Eiji opened his black eyes and saw he was in a huge bed which was not his own and then scanned the room which was also not his. The Japanese then remember what happened yesterday and that he was staying at Ash’s place.

Eiji was amazed when Ash took him to his home because the house was big. It was a mansion that at first Eiji could not believe that a young man like Ash lived here.

The Japanese got up from the bed and then staring right back at him was a reflection of himself because of the huge mirror in the room.

Eiji didn’t realize it before, but the room was big. It was bigger than the one in his place. This made Eiji feel small and tiny being in this vast room.

There was then a knock on the door, and then the doorknob opened, and the very person that Eiji wanted to see had walked in.

“You’re finally up,” Ash said.

Eiji looked for a way to communicate but couldn’t find anything like a pen or paper. Ash realizes what the boy thought so he gave Eiji a new brand new phone.

“Your old was so broken that it couldn’t be fixed, so I got you a new one,” Ash explained.

Eiji just looked at the phone for a moment, but then he took the phone from Ash and typed int something he wanted to say.

“Is it okay to give me this new phone?” Eiji was a concern.

“Yes, it’s fine.” Ash smiled. “It is my fault that your phone got ruined.”

Eiji looked at Ash confused by that comment.

“That’s something you don’t need to know.”

Eiji looked more confused but didn’t say anything about it.

“Are you hungry?” Ash asked.

“Yea.”

So Ash took Eiji out of the room and into the kitchen where breakfast was served by no other than Shorter Wong.

The smell of the book looked good in EIji eyes, but when he took a bite, it was another story.

“It’s nasty, right,” Ash said.

Eiji nodded his head, but still, he ate the food because he was hungry.

“Shorter’s sister is a way better cook. I will take you there one day.”

“My cooking isn’t that bad?” Shorter walked in the room and heard everything as well the expression on Eiji’s face when he took a bite of Shorter’s cooking.

“Yea sure.” Ash pretended to agree with Shorter.

Eiji could tell that the two were good friends and it made the Japanese smile.

“Where are you from?” Shorter asked.

“I’m from Japan.”

“I hear that’s a nice place. I like to see the cherry blossoms someday.”

Shorter found it different to speaking to Eiji but he didn’t mind it.

“I didn’t know you were a romantic guy,” Ash commented.

“I’m not. I just like the way the cherry blossom looked. Besides my sister is the one who is fond of them that she even pretended to make fake ones at home.” Shorter sighed. “But they are pretty from the videos I saw of.”

“You do that.” Ash teased.

“Ash, don’t make fun of me.”

Eiji looked at the time on the phone and saw that he had to leave soon.

“I have class.” He showed the phone to Ash.

“I’ll drop you to your college.” Ash offered.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know, but I want to.”

It seemed whatever Eiji said Ash wouldn’t budge, so he let the blond do as what he wants.

“See ya around Eiji.” Shorter waved goodbye to the Japanese and Eiji waved back too.

Ash had a car of his own, so he was able to drop Eiji off. Eiji told Ash to drop him not so close to the college because he didn’t want the attention and the blond agreed.

“Thank you for letting me stay the night and also for the phone.” Eiji smiled.

He said his goodbye to Ash and headed toward his college.

While in Class the whole time Eiji thought about how he could repay Ash. The blond was nice to him, so Eiji wanted to do something nice back to him too.

Of course, Eiji couldn’t forget the voices that the other students made. They thought that he couldn’t hear just because he was mute but he could. It upset Eiji, but there was nothing he could do about why he couldn’t speak.

The rumours were around college that it was hard for Eiji to make friends. Nobody wanted coming close to him that was until he met Ash.

The day felt long to Eiji but when noon finally hit that’s when Eiji could finally relax since being in class was horrible for him.

Eiji went to the shopping centre after his classes for the day finished. Eiji didn’t have to speak when buying things which were glad, but there was always that one person who would do small talk, but when Eiji showed them his phone, they shut up because he couldn’t speak.

Eiji made his way home but stopped when he smelled something. His eyes then went to the ground which was pouring with blood. This smell made Eiji sick, and then a vision came to him.

It was of somebody with blond hair in the hospital bed, but he wasn’t moving, and somebody was crying out in pain and Eiji could feel that pain.

Eiji fell on his knees. He felt sick and didn’t want to see this. That’s when he thought of Ash.

The Japanese took out his phoned and looked for Ash’s name which was on the very top and dialled the number.

“Hello,” Ash said, but there was no answer. “Is that you Eiji?” Still, there was no answer.

Eiji had dialled Ash’s number, but he forgot one thing, and that was he couldn’t speak.

“What’s wrong? Where are you?”

After Eiji hung up the phone and texted Ash.

“I need help,” Eiji explained where he was.

Ash didn’t even think about and rushed to where Eiji was.

When Ash got there, the scene he saw was horrible, and there he saw the Japanese looked all scared and teared up.

“Eiji,” Ash called to the boy.

Eiji turned around when he heard the familiar voice calling out his name.

Ash knew this was something that Eiji was not used to and him seeing EIji in pain like that hurt Ash as well.

Ash grabbed hold of Eiji and held him in his hands.

“ _Why didn’t you just leave?”_

Ash couldn’t leave Eiji alone, so he took him back to the mansion. When he arrived, the guys were there and saw Eiji and wondered what happened.

Ash took Eiji to the same room he had stayed the night before. He let the Japanese rest and then went back downstairs where his men were waiting.

“What happened?” Shorter asked the moment Ash came down.

“Eiji saw blood as well as a dead man,” Ash explained. “I tried my best to shield it, but that didn’t help.”

“Deadman.” Shorter didn’t like the sound of that.

“Boss, could it be Arthur?” Alex asked.

“Could be.” Ash wasn’t sure either. “But anyway it’s not safe for Eiji to be out there.”

“Kong and Bones I want you to watch over him.”

“Yes, Sir!” The two said in unison.

“Ash, I need to talk to you about something.” Shorter pulled Ash out after he was done talking to the rest of his men.

“What is it?” Ash asked. “I want to see how Eiji is doing.”

“I know your head over heels for Eiji and all, but you have to be careful.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ash’s eyes changed serious all of a sudden, almost like a glare to his best friend.

“Don’t look at me like that. I just found some information, and it involves the Japanese gang.”

“Japanese?” Ash questioned.

“Yes.” Shorter said.

“I didn’t think there was one,” Ash said.

“Yea. Me too but while Sing was doing the rounds he saw them, and they aren’t the good kind. Not good-hearted like your little Eiji.”

“Okay, but why did you say to be careful of him?” Ash asked.

“Because he’s Japanese and he could be part with he Japanese. I mean we don’t know anything about Eiji.”

“I get what you’re saying but there no way in hell that Eiji would be part of the Japanese Mafia. I mean he was so scared when I found him.”

“I get it but just be careful.”

“I will.”

Shorter felt terrible that he was thinking that way about Eiji because after meeting him once the Chinese felt the Eiji wasn’t like the other Japanese but still Shorter was somebody that was always too careful when it comes to the mafia.

Shorter left Ash on his own and headed back to his famigila.

After speaking with Shorter Ash went to see how Eiji was doing. The Japanese weren’t resting as he had hoped, but instead, he awoke and was just staring up in the ceiling.

“Eiji,” Ash called out.

The boy turned to Ash and smiled at the blond.

Ash was glad that Eiji was doing okay.

The blond knew how dangerous that New York was and that he couldn’t stop the fighting or anything that was happening in the city, but he could try to do something about it, but it would take some time.

Ash went to Eiji and sat beside him on the bed.

“I’m sorry that you had to within such a scene,” Ash said.

“Why are apologizing? It wasn’t your fault.” What Eiji wrote was right, but even so, Ash felt guilty about it because it was all the mafia’s doing and the blond was part of that world. A dangerous world.

“I didn’t want to involve you in all this because the world that I’m in isn’t all that nice.”

“The Mafia.” Eiji wrote.

“How?” Ash didn’t think that Eiji knew he was part of the mafia.

“I’m not stupid even if I can’t speak,” Eiji said.

Eiji knew the first time he met Ash that he was part of the mafia and the boss too. There were always talks in the city, so it was no surprised but what they made Ash be was different than how Ash was in person.

The boy was eighteen was a lovely person to Eiji and cared for him even though they were strangers. There were other sides of Ash that Eiji hasn’t seen, but that doesn’t mean that Ash isn’t the same person because he is.

“How about staying the night here since it’s already dark out.” Ash offered.

“Okay.” Eiji nodded his head.

Ash felt peace when Eiji was by his side, and there was something else that was strange for Ash like he had met Eiji before, it was just this feeling he had, but that was impossible because Ash has never met a Japanese person like Eiji in his life. If Ash had met him, then he would have remembered since Eiji is somebody that is not hard to forget with his bright smile of his.

When Shorter got to his headquarters, he sat on the couch. He was exhausted. Shorter had to deal with a lot of things, and that includes helping Ash out.

“Shorter.” Sing walked in with a book in his hand.

“Hey, Sing.” Shorter breathed.

“You look tired.”

“Tell me about it.” He sighed.

Shorter then noticed the book that Shin was holding.

“I didn’t think you were the type to read.”

“I don’t but I bumped into somebody today, and he dropped this. I tried calling out to him as he was leaving, but he didn’t ear me.”

“What is the book about?”

“It’s an English book. It looks like that guy isn’t from around here.” Sing stated. “But you know that guy looked young. Maybe fourteen. He has a baby face for a guy.”

When Sing said that Shorter’s first thought was Eiji since the Japanese had a young look and could be mistaken as a junior high with his face.

“So Sing, about the Japanese Mafia.”

“Oh.” Sing said scratching his head. “It’s hard to get much information on them.”

“Why?”

“Well the people that talk about them are Japanese, and I don’t understand their language.” Sing explained.

“Japanese.”

“Yea. I feel they don’t want to be known.”

“We need somebody who speaks Japanese, but I don’t think we know anybody like that.”

“We might.” Shorter said. “But Ash might kill me about this when I told him everything earlier.”

“Wha? Did you guys get into a fight?”

“Nothing like that Sing. I just explained to Ash that Japanese couldn’t be trusted, but there’s this new guy name Eiji, and he’s Japanese, and well Ash seemed attached to him.”

“This works out so just ask this Eiji to help us.”

“Didn’t you just hear me? I said Ash might kill me if I get him involved.”

“Then how about you just ask Eiji and not tell Ash and tell that Japanese not to mention it to Ash.”

“That’s a good idea, but I have this horrible feeling.”

“Shorter we need info and the only way is with Eiji’s help.”

“Okay!” Shorter yelled as he got up.

Shorter knew that Eiji was staying at Ash’s place and that he was a student so maybe tomorrow he will go to Eiji’s college to speak to him rather when he’s with Ash.

“Oh, yea there is one more problem Sing.” Shorter said as he turned to the younger boy.

“What is it now?”

“Eiji is mute, so he can’t speak.”

“What?”

“But he writes with his phone and notepad to say what he means, so it’s okay.” Shorter smiled.


	3. Read My Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for delay and here's the new chapt

Shorter decided that he would speak to Eiji. The Chinese needed his help but it was harder then he thought it would be. Eiji is always seen around Ash, and there isn’t a time he has seen them apart when they hang out.

Shorter wanted to speak to Eiji alone, but when Ash and the Japanese are apart, the older males don’t know where Eiji goes. He doesn’t even know where the young man lives.

“This harder then I thought.” He sighed.

“What are you sighing about?” Ash had appeared out of nowhere. Shorter didn’t even notice Ash come in that it took him by surprise.

“Ash, you’re back.”

“Yea. I had to drop Eiji off.” Ash said.

“You know where he lives?” Shorter asked.

“Yea but I never been inside. I always drop him off but never gone inside myself. “

“Hey, Ash.” Shorter started his words.

“What?” Ash asked.

“Never mind.” Shorter decided not to voice out what he about told his best friend.

“Your so weird,” Ash said which made Shorter just laugh out loud.

Ash left the room, and Shorter was alone again. He was trying to figure out what he should do. Sure he could ask Eiji, but it was hard when Ash was around and even if Shorter asked when Ash was there he had this sinking feeling that he could die from the glare that Ash would give him.

“So much to think about.” He sighed.

Shorter’s phone started to vibrate and saw it was a call from Sing.

“What is it?” He answered.

“Some of our boys were beaten up badly.”

“What? How?!” Shorter yelled.

“I’m not sure myself, but they didn’t kill them, but it may have been the Japanese mafia.”

“Give me a break.” Shorter’s day was not going well. “I will be there so sit tight.”

When Shorter got to his base, he saw his Chinese members in bad shape but not so bad that they would die.

“I’m glad that they are okay but why didn’t they kill them.” Shorter voiced his thoughts out.

“I was thinking the same thing.” Sing said. “There must be a reason.”

Sing then turned to Shorter.

“So about that Japanese that you know. Can he help us?”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to get close to him when Ash is around. I don’t even know where the kid goes off after.”

“So he can’t help us.” Sing thought for sure that this would go, but Shorter did say how overprotective Ash is about this Eiji. “We need to find somebody else then.”

“I guess so.” Shorter rubbed his head, but there was nobody else they knew that was Japanese.

Sure Eiji doesn’t voice his words, but he still understood Japanese.

“Oh, yea. Nadia sis told us to head to the restaurant for dinner tonight.”

“Okay.”

So the two Chinese left the base and walked out of their headquarter. As they walked through the street, Shorter stopped making Sing stop too.

“What are you stopping all of a sudden?” Sing looked at where Shorter was looking and saw a young man carrying a bag full of books.

“It’s Eiji.” Shorter saw the hard time Eiji was having. He didn’t just have one bag of books, but two and they looked heavy.

Shorter ran to where Eiji was and grabbed one of the bags before it fell or even ripped.

Eiji looked up at Shorter with a smile. His smile was probably saying thank you.

Sing ran up to them afterward and helped Eiji carry the other bag.

“We’ll take you home.” Shorter said. The Chinese thought this was a good time to know where Eiji lived, but of course, he won’t go inside since even Ash hasn’t yet.

They walked down the street with the bags of books.

“ _How many books are in here_?” Shorter complained since it was getting heavy.

Just as they were walking, they saw a bunch of Japanese speaking to each other, and they didn’t look like the ordinary bunch. They looked like ones that are part of the mafia.

Shorter and Sing then notice that Eiji had stopped for a moment and then started to walk again. Shorter thought maybe Eiji had heard what they were talking about.

“Eiji,” Shorter said, but he couldn’t continue what he wanted to say.

They walk wasn’t far, and they finally arrived at Eiji’s home. It was a small place that was good for one person like Eiji.

The two Chinese were about to leave when Eiji took a Shorter hand, and the Chinese felt something on it.

Eiji smiled and waved goodbye and closed the door behind them

What it was in Shorter’s hand was a letter that Eiji probably wrote, but He didn’t know when the young man had time even to write it.

Shorter was shocked when he realized what was written in the letter. It was what those Japanese were saying.

“I guess Eiji knew what I was thinking.” He laughed.

Shorter put the letter in his pocket and explained to Sing, and then the two headed to Chang Dai.

Nadia had already prepared food for the two growing boys. She made a lot since Nadia knew her younger brother ate a lot.

“How is everything going with you two?” She asked casually.

“The same as usual.” Shorter said as he stuffed his mouth with food.

“Can you not speak and eat at the same time?” Sing found it disgusted the way Shorter had food in his mouth and yet he still wants to speak.

“And how about Ash?” She asked.

“He’s doing good.”

“I saw him yesterday, and he seems in a good mood.” Nadia pointed it out.

“ _It’s probably because of Eiji.”_ Shorter thought. “ _Know that I think about how did Eiji know what I was thinking about earlier.”_

Shorter didn’t overthink and continued to eat his food that he lovely older sister had made with love and care.

Shorted cared a lot about Nadia because she was the only family member she had and Nadia had done so much for him when they moved to America. She even started her own business in Chang Dai all on her own. Shorter would help now and then, but it was mostly all her that did everything.

“Do you want seconds?” Nadia asked.

“I do!” Shorted brightly smiled making Nadia smile as well.

Nadia poured a second helping to her younger brother.

Ash was at the hideout taking a little nap when he suddenly woke up from a nightmare that he was having. It was not the usual ones that he has. In the dream, Eiji was in it, and he was going somewhere far away with people unknown to him, but they looked dangerous.

Ash didn’t even think and grabbed his jacket and walked out of the front door of the hideout and headed out to Eiji’s apartment.

When Eiji heard the doorbell ring, the young man walked to the door and opened it and there stood the blond young man. He was panting, and it seems like he had run all the way here.

“What’s wrong?” Eiji asked as he held out his cell phone.

“I just wanted to see you,” Ash said. “Can I come in?”

Eiji let the man inside his apartment.

It was the first time that Ash had ever come inside his home.

Ash was glad that when the door opened that it was Eiji’s face he saw. He was glad that the Eiji was all right. His dream had scared him. It’s like that Eiji was going somewhere far away out of his reach. Ash didn’t know why but he felt that Eiji had gone before, but that was strange since a few days ago was when he met Eiji for the first time.

“Were you about to sleep?” Ash asked because he saw the way Eiji was dressed.

“No. I was about to read a book.”

“Still learning English.”

“Yes. I’m not good at that, so I’m trying to learn more since I will be staying here for a while.” Eiji explained.

The two stayed and two about random things that Ash didn’t usually talk to others about.

More than talk it was more was Ash speaking and Eiji just voicing out what he was saying. Ash did wonder what Eiji would sound like. Ash thought in his head that Eiji would have a cute voice with that sweet face of his.

“It’s getting late.” Eiji looked at the window, and even Ash didn’t realize how much time had passed when he was with Eiji.

“Do you want to stay over?”

“What?”

“I mean it’s late, and I don’t want you to go home in the dark.” Ash found Eiji cute. He was worried about the blond even though Ash could take care of himself.

Ash patted Eiji’s head and smiled at him.

“If you don’t mind then I’ll stay.”

There was one bed, and Ash didn’t know what to do.

Eiji had got himself on the bed and then patted the other side. Guess the Japanese wanted him to sleep with him but this made Ash a bit nervous. Didn’t Eiji realize what he was doing?

Eiji looked at Ash confused since the blond was just standing still.  


“ _Fine.”_

Ash got himself on the bed; It was big enough for the two of them. Ash felt Eiji even closer then he has ever been before and it was a good feeling.

At first, Ash didn’t know how to act, but he got used to it since Eiji was acting normal as well. The young man probably didn’t understand how things were in America. Even if you are a guy and got in a bed with another guy, it would mean another matter, especially in a bed.

Eiji eyes closed and the Japanese had fallen asleep. Ash watched the way Eiji slept, and it made him think that Eiji wasn’t going anywhere. Ash then closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

That night was the first time that Ash had a decent sleep without any horrible nightmares that he usually had.


	4. Voice Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished another chapter  
> yay for me and yay for you for getting a new update.

Eiji woke up the next morning and saw the bed was empty, but he saw a note beside him where Ash had been sleeping.

Sorry had to run out without a word but something came up

But I will see you later tonight

Ash

 

“Does that mean that he’s coming here tonight.” Eiji was happy that Ash left him a note because if he didn’t Eiji would be worried sick where Ash suddenly went to.

Eiji looked up at the calendar that he had in his room and saw where there was a rabbit sticker and realized today was the day he was going to the hospital.

“It’s my check-up day.”

Eiji quickly washed up and changed his clothes and grabbed his keys and wallet before heading out.

The sun was shining when Eiji got outside. He liked nice weathers like this since it made him relax more than most days.

Eiji hated going to the hospital for his check-ups since it was the same every time yet he didn’t know why the doctor insist him of still coming.

As Eiji thought when he finished his check-up, the doctor said the same thing, but there was something else that was different.

“There’s a way we can cure your voice now.”

“What?” Eiji looked confused.

“Before I asked you to come for check-ups to see how your voice was progressing to see if it was possible.”

“So there’s a cure.”

“Yes, there is.” Eiji felt happy, but then he realizes there’s always a catch.

“How much?” Eiji asked.

When the doctor opened his mouth that is when Eiji realize it was too good to be true. There no way that he could get that much money to cure his voice.

Eiji left the hospital declining the doctor to cure his voice since he didn’t have the money to do so.

The Japanese were walking down the street thinking about everything. Just when he thought he could speak again, talk to Ash and everybody without using paper or even his phone, but his hopes were crushed. Eiji felt sad and didn’t know what to do anymore.

It’s not that Eiji couldn’t speak like normal because he could but when he did his throat would hurt, and he would feel this burning sensation, and his neck would all be red from just speaking even a little line that was how fragile that Eiji was.

Eiji decided that there was nothing to do and decided to head back home. He didn’t feel like walking around feeling this horrible as the Japanese were doing that he overheard voices in his language.

“We’ll deal with that lion.”

“Tonight is when the famous mafia is going down.”

“Arthur said it would be no problem.”

“It’s going to be down in the abandon train station.”

“When we attack the lion then that’s when Arthur will appear from behind and kill him.”

One the men that spoke Japanese turned around when he caught Eiji staring at them.

“Something the matter.”

“Sorry. I was lost in thought.” Eiji quickly took out his phone.

The men walked away mumbling something about Eiji and how he didn’t know what they were talking about.

When EIji got home, he couldn’t stop thinking about what he heard. He knew that Ash was the mafia boss it’s no surprise since almost everybody knew about and yet Eiji pretends not to know because he didn’t care if Ash was a leader of a mafia because to Eiji the blond young man was a friend to him.

“I have to warn Ash,” Eiji said in a determination in his eyes.

 

Shorter was waiting for Ash at his headquarter and boy was the lion late. He didn’t show up in the morning, but his mafia member saw him and told Shorter that Ash looked like he had just woken up, and it was sight they saw often, and they knew how crazy it would be to speak to their leader, so they left him be.

The door opened, and Ash enters the scene, his hair was a mess like he had just woken up.

“What happened to you?” Shorter asked.

“I was over at Eiji’s and left this morning early to deal with some things.” Ash let out a yawn.  Ash sat on the empty couch that was there and then looked through some files.

“I see. Anyway, I have something important to discuss with you.”

“What is it?” Ash put the files down and had Shorter’s full attention now. Those jade eyes are looking straight at Shorter, and it was almost scary.

“The Japanese mafia is planning something big.”

“The Japanese.”

“I thought they didn’t involve themselves with the American.”

“That’s what myself and Shin thought to, but then we got this information.”

“What are they planning?” Ash asked.

“They want to make all-out war with us. And they even intend to involve the innocent too.”

Ash didn’t like the sound of that.

“Wait for a second here?” Ash just realizes something. “How did you even get this information? I mean they always speak Japanese as far as I’m told.”

“Well.” Shorter scratched his cheek. He was nervous now. “Shin and I bumped into Eiji on our way home one day, and there just happened to be some Japanese there, and I guess Eiji knew what we were thinking and wrote them what he heard them say.”

“What?” Ash was surprised. “I guess even Eiji knows what you idiots were thinking.”

“What do you mean by that?” Shorter asked.

“I had this sinking feeling you wanted to get Eiji involved in all this.”

“I just wanted to ask him since he spoke Japanese. Well not speak but is Japanese. You get the picture.”

“Shorter if you were not my best friend I would kill you for getting Eiji involved.” Ash chuckled.

Shorter didn’t know how he felt when Ash laughed because it wasn’t a real laugh.

“We should probably hurry to the train station now. Grab your men!”

“You got it, Ash!”

 

This was fought that they had been waiting for and Ash couldn’t afford to lose. He had to keep everybody in New York safe. His friends, his loved ones. The ones whom he cared for.

Just when the group that Ash and Shorter brought entered the train station is when they were attacked, but they were no threat to Ash since he took them out quickly. Ash found it strange how easy this seemed.

The Japanese young man had appeared at the abandon train station and saw the fighting going that’s when he saw blond hair and saw it was Ash that was fighting. Eiji scanned the area, and then from behind, he saw a bigger tall blond guy ready to stab Ash with a knife.

“Ash!” Eiji called out with his real voice. He had to warn Ash even if it meant using his voice when he is not supposed to.

Ash turned around and just in time dodged the knife and kicked Arthur in the face. The plan had failed for the Japanese that was working with Arthur and his group.

Rest of Ash’s men started to gang up on Arthur so they would be trapped but Arthur had a plan up his sleeved, and he dropped something on the ground a smokescreen appeared when the smoke had disappeared so had Arthur and the Japanese.

Ash then turned to the voice that he heard, and there he saw Eiji standing there, but something was wrong with him. Eiji’s was holding onto his neck and saw it was turning red.

Ash hurried to Eiji’s side. Eiji had a hard time since he could feel the burning within him.

“What’s wrong?” Ash didn’t know what to do.

“Ash, let’s take him to the hospital.”

“Right.”

Ash carried Eiji on his place, and they hurried off to the hospital.

Eiji got in right away since Ash was the mafia boss.

“What’s wrong with him doctor?” Ash asked.

The doctor that had appeared was the same doctor that Eiji had been seeing.

“He used his voice when he wasn’t supposed to. It won’t do any harm, but it will hurt.”

“So Eiji has been coming here,” Ash said.

“Yes. He was here earlier today as well. I suggested him an away to cure his voice, but he refused.”

“Why?” Shorter asked.

“It’s probably because of the cost.”

“Cost? How much?” Ash asked. “I don’t care how much it is I will pay for it so cure his damn voice.”

“Yes, sir!”

The doctor called his team right away and got ready for the operation.

“Ash are you sure about this?” Shorter asked.

“I’m sure. Eiji saved my life. I heard him call out to me and that’s when I realize Arthur was there. His voice is like an angel just like how Eiji is.” Ash smiled. “I have so much money that I rather use it on Eiji.”

When Eiji opened his dark eyes, he found himself in the room that the Japanese were in a long time ago when the young man was a child when he got into an accident.

“The hospital.” Eiji looked around, and that’s when he saw Ash by his side. He was asleep.

“Has he been here this whole time.” Eiji then realizes his voice. He spoke, and it didn’t hurt.

“Ash,” Eiji said.

That woke up the mafia boss off. The blond was glad Eiji was awake and looking good.

“Ash. I can speak.”

“Yes.”

“But how?”

“I paid for your operation.”

“But Ash.” Ash probably knew what Eiji was about to say.

“Your well being is better than anything in this life.”

It didn’t take that long for Eiji to be discharged from the hospital and went he did Ash thought it was better for Eiji to go home back with him where he lived with the rest of the gang.

They lived in a huge mansion that had plenty of room and a big kitchen but not like they cook or anything since they had a cook to do that. Even maids in the mansion to clean up.

“Is it okay for me to stay here?” Eiji asked.

“Yes. I’ll feel more at ease knowing you are close to me.”

The door opened, and Alex came in with a tray of food.

“The cook made this for you Eiji.” Alex places the tray on the table beside the bed that Eiji was sitting on.

“I haven’t eaten anything.” Eiji was hungry, so he took a bite of the food. Eiji made an expression that was too good for this world.

Alex left the room, and it was just the two of them again.

“I was surprised today when I heard a voice call out my name and even more shocked when it was you calling to me.”

“I was worried. I heard some Japanese talking and heard about what was happening.” Eiji explained.

“That explains why you were there. But I rather you do not do that. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry. But there are a lot of dangerous things in this world Ash, and I don’t like that you have to be involved in it. I know you’re a mafia boss and all, but still, it worries me.”

“I know you worry.”

“The Japanese mafia is one thing that isn’t good.”

“I can deal with them.”

“I’m not talking about the ones here but the one from Japan.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve lived in Japan my whole life, and I know how the mafia there is like.” Eiji’s mind was then filled with an image of a man.

“I don’t care who they are I will deal with them and protect you.”

“Ash.”

“My hands been tainted so much and I will do it again if anybody hurts you.”

“Ash.”

“Don’t you get it.”

Ash leans in close to Eiji, and this made Eiji’s heart beat fast.

“Can I ask you something?” Ash asked.

“What is it?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Eiji was surprised by the words Ash had said.

“Is that no?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“So I can.”

Before Eiji could say anything Ash’s lips were pressed onto his. Eiji was confused since it was the first time that anything like this has ever happened to him and it was his first kiss, but it felt right for him.

Ash felt that Eiji’s lips were soft and warm just like the feels that Ash got whenever Eiji was close. Ash siped his hand underneath Eiji’s shirt, and a moan was let out which the blond found cute, but then Ash stopped what he was doing.

The blond broke the kiss and saw Eiji’s face was very red, but he had a more important thing to deal with. He turned to the door entrance and saw his best friend.

“Sorry that I was interrupting your makeup session.” Shorter grinned.

“Sorry, Eiji.” Ash got up and left the room with Shorter.

“What is it?” Ash was not in the mood.

“Sorry, Mr pretty boy but I have some news.”

“What is it?” He asked.

“We heard rumours that one of main mafia gang is coming to America.”

“Why?” Ash didn’t understand it but either way, he wasn’t going to let somebody take anybody away from him.


	5. Ren Iwata

The following days were strange for Ash since he could hear Eiji speak. It wasn’t a bad thing, but he was just not used to listen to his voice. His voice was lovely and soft like the person Eiji was.

“Are you not hungry? Ash?” Eiji asked as the two were eating breakfast together.

“It’s nothing.” Ash smiled and then ate the food that Eiji had made for them.

It was a lot better with Eiji around since he made good food besides the stinky ones like natto. The cook could make them the food, but Eiji decided since he would be staying with them for the time being that he should cook and so Ash couldn’t argue with him about that and let him do that.

Ash was still worried about the famous mafia familiga that was coming to America. He heard they were from Japan and they are horrible.

“Eiji, do you know anything about the mafia in Japan?”

“Not much,” Eiji answered. “I just know that they are not good people.”

They continued to eat and have a light talk.

Later on, Shorter came to the headquarters. There was no business to discuss. Shorter just wanted to be there.

“How’s living with Ash and his gang?” Shorter asked.

“It’s not bad, and everybody is nice,” Eiji answered.

_“That’s only because you’re a sweetheart.”_

“It’s so nice to hear your voice like this.” Shorter said.

Shorter spend the day with Ash and Eiji. They didn’t go out just stayed inside. They watched some couple of movies and when Eiji went to the washroom was when Shorter got serious.

“I knew there was a reason you came over,” Ash said. “Spill it.”

“It’s that Japanese mafia.”

“I have deal with Arthur and now the Japanese mafia.” Ash sighed. It looked like he had his work cut out for him.

“I asked Sing to look more info about the Japanese mafia.”

“Thanks,” Ash said. “Eiji told me that the Japanese mafia is not good people.”

“Aren’t all mafia like that? Including us.” Shorter laughed.

“Yea. But in Eiji’s eyes, we are not bad people.” Ash explained.

“True.” Shorter agreed with Ash’s words.

They heard Eiji come back and pretend to talk about something completely different. Ash didn’t want Eiji to know about their problems. It’s not that Ash doesn’t trust the Japanese, but he just wants to keep Eiji from harm, so he keeps these things hidden from Eiji.

It was time for Shorter to leave since he has an errand to run for his older sister. He said his goodbye to the two and left the base.

“Ash.” EIji started.

“What is it?” Ash kissed Eiji’s forehead to give the boy comfort. “Are still feeling ill after your surgery?”

“It’s nothing.” Eiji decided not to say what was on his mind.

The two cuddled with one another as they continue to watch the movie that was on the television screen. Ash wished this moment would last forever, but he knew there were things he had to do and attend to. That’s what being a mafia boss is about.

“I’m thinking of going back to college,” Eiji said.

“Are you sure you're okay to be going back so soon?” Ash asked.

“Yes. I recovered fine, and I can’t miss any more classes, or my grades will go down with it.”

“Okay. When do you plan on going?” Ash asked.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Okay, I will drop you off.”

“You don’t need to. I can get to the college on my own.”

“I know, but I want to.”

“If you insist.”

It looked like Ash won that battle.

That night when Ash put Eiji to sleep and saw the young man was finally asleep he went to meet with his gang for a meeting.

Shorter and his gang was there as well since this was a big thing.

“Did you find anything out Sing?” Shorter asked the young Chinese member of his familiga.

“I did.” Sing got up and ready to voice out his words. “The mafia boss in charge for the Japanese is called Ren Iwata, and he’s a ruthless killer.”

“Do you have a photo of what the guy looks like?” Ash asked.

“Yes.” Sing showed the photo to Ash.

“He’s young.” Shorter said.

“Yes. I think he’s around Eiji’s age.” Sing said.

“What should we do boss?” Alex asked.

“For now we lay low until we can get more information on this man as well as his familiga and to why he is in America besides what they already know.”

“Yes, boss!” Everybody said union.

Unknown to Ash or anybody in the room Eiji heard them talk. He was awake. The young man had to use the restroom when he heard them speak and that’s when he heard that name.

“Iwata Ren.” It named all too familiar to Eiji. Everybody heard of that name in Japan, but to Eiji, it was a little personal.

“ _Why are you planning Ren?”_

Eiji went back to his room and lay on the bed. Eiji thought about what the world was coming to know.

The following day Eiji woke up and saw Ash was not by his side. Eiji got up and went to the main room, and Ash wasn’t there as well. That’s when Alex, Bones and Kong walked int.

“Do you know where Ash is?” Eiji asked the three.

“The boss is probably at the library.”  Bones said.

“The library.”

“Yes. When he wants to read some books or be alone, the boss goes there.”

“Maybe I’ll make him something and bring to him.” Eiji smiled at the idea and skipped back to his room.

“You two accompany him to the library,” Alex told the two.

“Yes, sir!”

So half-way Bones and Kong walked Eiji to the library.

Eiji looked for Ash when he entered the library. The place was big. It was bigger than the college library.

The young man scanned the room, and that’s when he spotted blond hair. Eiji was surprised when he saw Ash wearing glasses. It made Eiji’s heart skip a beat since he looked even more handsome.

Eiji walked to the table that Ash was sitting with pile of books on the table.

“Ash.” He said.

Ash looked and acted surprised, but the blond already knew that Eiji was in the room.

“I brought you some breakfast.” Eiji smiled and showing him the plastic bag that was filled with food that he had made.

“Thanks.” Ash smiled. “You didn’t come alone did you?”

“Bones and Kong walked with me here then they left.”

“I see.” That made Ash glad that Eiji didn’t go on his own.

Ash is always worried about Eiji being on his own if it’s not the headquarter or with him or one of the guys with him.

“I’m finished for the morning. Let’s have some of the food you made.” Ash said.

“Okay.” Eiji smiled.

The two walked outside to find a place to have the breakfast. It was a beautiful day out, and they saw some people eating their meal out in the open too.

They found a nice quiet place under a large tree.

Eiji felt like they were on a little picnic and it made him happy.

“Eiji, what’s Japan like?” Ash asked.

“Japan? It has a lot of people everyday coming and going from work or school.”

“It’s no different than here.”

“But that’s only in Tokyo. Where I’m from is different?”

“Where is that?”

“Izumo,” Eiji said.

Ash tried to say the name but couldn’t, and Eiji laughed at him.

“I-z-u-m-o.” Eiji said it slowly.

The finished their breakfast and headed back to the headquarter.

Ash and EIji spend a little time together, but then Ash had to leave again. He grabbed his jacket and keys.

“I’ll be back soon. I’m sorry to leave you again.” Ash kissed Eiji on the forehead and left the mansion.

Eiji felt sad that Ash had things to do, but he couldn’t blame the guy since he was a leader and the blond had things to do. Eiji wanted to help Ash someway to instead of being useless.

Eiji thought once he got his voice back that he could be helpful. Eiji always felt useless when he didn’t have his voice since people couldn’t speak to him and they thought he was weird, but now he felt that Eiji still couldn’t help.

Eiji was alone in the mansion, and there was nobody in the home.

The Japanese decided to go to Ash’s office to see if there was any way that the young man could help his boyfriend.

Eiji was looking through the papers when he stumbled into something that maybe he shouldn’t have. It was information about the Japanese.

“Ren,” Eiji said the name out loud.

Everything about Ren was there and also about how his familiga was going to cause trouble in America.

Ren was a powerful man, and he always gets what he wants is what he always says.

“What are you thinking of doing this time?”

Ren always caused trouble that Eiji knew since the Japanese knew Ren well.

Eiji figured a way that maybe Eiji could help Ash, but it could backfire too. It was nothing terrible that it would cause him any harm. Eiji just had to speak Ren, but the thing is that Eiji didn’t want to face the man since Eiji ran away from Ren in Japan.

“I should call him.” Eiji was nervous about all this.

Eiji left the room after putting the files away and went to his room.

The memories that Eiji had forgotten had resurfaced, and he didn’t like it.


	6. Photo

Eiji had gone back to his college and Ash had dropped him back on his first day back after everything that had happened.

“I’ll pick you up when you're done,” Ash said before leaving.

There was still a lot in Eiji’s mind that he couldn’t focus on what the instructor was saying. It was very unlike him.

The students, as well as the teachers, were surprised that Eiji could speak again, but even so, Eiji chooses not to get close to them since they never liked him for not having a voice.

EIji looked at the time on his wristwatch. He wanted his class to be over which was strange for him. The Japanese were worried about things involving Ash since he was dealing with the Japanese mafia.

Last night Eiji wasn’t able to call Ren since he was scared to even when Eiji wanted to help Ash in any way that he could, but he was a coward.

“ _Maybe there’s something else I can do to help.”_

Eiji had gotten out of class earlier then he thought he would, and Japanese had time to spare.

The young decided to go to a grocery store since he remembers that they didn’t have much food left. Ash would probably say that he shouldn’t worry about the cooking, but Eiji likes to cooks.

Eiji arrived at the nearby grocery store and went to the area where he could get the items that he needed as the Japanese were grabbing an object he heard two men speaking Japanese.

“Why is the boss so picky about his food?”

“Isn’t it all the same no matter how you make it?

“Idiot the way we Japanese make it back home and here are different. The taste is different.”

“The boss wants homemade.”

Eiji could figure out that these men belonged to Ren’s familiga. The young man was going to grab his things and leave quickly, but he saw how the two men were struggling with deciding what would be like homemade food.

Eiji went up to them and grabbed the items and handed them the food.

“These taste like homemade food when you cook it,” Eiji said speaking in Japanese to the two men.

The man looked surprised but also grateful to Eiji since they were having a hard time.

“Thank you.” Both said in unison.

The two men didn’t look that old, but they looked older then Eiji.

After Eiji was done with that, he hurried there. The young man didn’t believe what he had just done. Eiji should have left and not bother with the two Japanese, but it was hard to look away when it was getting him mad since they didn’t know anything about making homemade Japanese food.

Eiji managed to get home alone, but there was an angry Ash staring back at him.

“Where did you go? I told you that I would pick you up after your class finished.”

“Our class finished early, and I thought it would be good to buy some things for dinner.”

“You have to be careful,” Ash said as he walked to Eiji and put his hands on his shoulder. Eiji saw the worried look on the blond’s face.

“Sorry.” Eiji apologized. “I thought it would be okay since I didn’t go that far from home.”

Ash was mad, but he let his angry side since he didn’t want to make Eiji look sad.

“Next time class me. It doesn’t matter when. I will always come to you whenever you call.”

“Okay. I will.” Eiji smiled.

Ash helped Eiji put the food he bought into the kitchen fridge.

“I don’t understand why you do this when we have a cook.”

“I feel that I’m not doing enough after you let me stay here with you. I want to repay you, and so I decided making food for us is the least I could do.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Ash knew no matter how many times he said that Eiji would not listen to him.

While Eiji was cooking dinner, Ash went to the living room. He lay there on the couch and turned on the television. As Ash was watching some news on the TV, his cell phone rang.

“What is it Shorter?” Ash picked up the call from his best friend.

“Trouble is what?” Shorter said.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw Arthur, and he was with the Japanese mafia.”

“What is he planning on doing with them?” Ash had a bad feeling about all this.

“Tomorrow meet me at the bar with your guys.”

“Got it.”

The call ended, and Ash put his phone on the table in the living room then went to see how Eiji was doing.

Ash hugged Eiji from the back as he was still cooking.

“Ash,” Eiji said looking surprised when the blond had hugged him.

“Are you almost done the cooking?”

“Yes,” Eiji said.

Ash then pressed his lips onto Eiji’s surprising the Japanese since the kiss was so sudden. When Ash pulled away, he saw the small blush on Eiji’s cheeks.

“Your lips are soft and warm just like you are.”

“Ash.”

Eiji had finished cooking, and in time the rest of the members of Ash’s group arrived. Eiji set the table, and everybody had dinner together.

The young man felt happy to eat with Ash and everybody since he didn’t get that back in Japan. His parents were always busy when they were around, and his younger sister also had things that a girl her age wanted to do than have dinner with the family. Eiji had a smile on his face when he ate his food with the familiga.

Ash felt happy when he saw Eiji smiling, and it made him happy as well.

“How was college?” Alex asked the Japanese.

“Nothing changed. It was the same.” Eiji answered.

“Your lucky to go to college when you still can.” Bones said.

“Why? Did you guys go to school before?” Eiji asked.

“We all dropped out,” Kong said.

“Oh. Sorry.” Eiji felt bad for assuming they all went to school and finished as well.

“Don’t feel bad,” Ash said. “We choose to drop out, and it thinks we made a good choice.”

“Even if you did go to school Ash I don’t think the teacher would have liked you,” Eiji said.

“Why is that?” Ash asked.

“Because you're too smart that you might make them embarrassed for being a teacher.” When Eiji said that everybody laughed including Ash.

Dinner finished, and everybody went back to their rooms since it was getting late and they all needed a rest after a long day.

Ash and Eiji walked to their room that they shared as a couple. It was Ash’s room, but now it’s Eiji’s room too.

EIji was laying on the bed while Ash was in the washroom.

The blond was washing his face. After he looked at himself in the mirror as his jade eyes reflected at him. He thought about everything that he went through and felt that Ash was glad because he was able to meet Eiji.

Ash finished and went out of the washroom and saw Eiji on the bed with a smile on his face. He got onto the bed.

“Ash,” EIji said with a tone that sounded a bit sad.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Ash asked worried what was on Eiji’s mind.

“About the Japanese mafia?”

Ash remembered that they had talked about this before and how Eiji explained how horrible the Japanese mafia was.

“What is it? I’m listening.”

“I’m afraid that you're going to go up against them.”

Eiji turned around.

“Forget I said anything.”

Ash hugged Eiji from behind, and the Japanese could feel Ash’s warmth from behind that was coming from Ash’s hand.

“Nothing bad will happen,” Ash said. The blond kissed Eiji on the back of his neck. “I will stay alive and keep you safe as well.”

“Ash,” Eiji whispered.

They held each other as both of them fell asleep like that.

The next day Ash had dropped Eiji off to college and after that Ash headed to the bar where he had told Shorter and his men to meet.

On his way there with his men the blond thought about Eiji. His lover has been acting a bit weird like last night, but he was able to comfort the sadness that Eiji was feeling, but still, there was something wrong with him.

Ash arrived at the bar and saw Shorter, and his men were already there.

“Yo.” Shorter greeted.

“Sorry for the delay I had to drop Eiji off at his college.”

“Not a problem.”

“So about Arthur?” Ash started the meeting as he spoke first about it.

“So yea I saw Arthur with the Japanese.”

“What is he planning to team up with the Japanese mafia?”

“I guess that Arthur needs help to deal with you and to do it he needed somebody powerful.”

“So the Japanese.”

“Have anybody seen the boss of the Japanese?” Alex asked if maybe the Chinese saw him or anything.

All of them shook their head.

“I see,” Alex said.

“I heard he came here when he was younger though.” Sing said.

“When he was younger?” Ash thought about what Sing had just said.

“He came to America with his own family and another side of the family too.”

“What do you mean by that Sing?” Ash asked.

“Ren’s half-brother.”

“Half-brother?”

“Here I have a photo of them when they were younger, but that’s all.” Sing showed the photo of two little boys with smiles on their faces. One had red hair who Sing had said with Ren, and the other was unknown, but Ash felt a familiarity with the little boy with black hair and that smile. Suddenly Ash’s head with filled with Eiji’s smile.

“ _There’s no way.”_ Ash had this bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. “ _It’s not Eiji.”_

“What happened to the other boy?” Ash asked.

“The information I got was that he ran away from the family. He ran away from Japan after Ren, and he got into an argument. That all I found out.”

“Okay, thanks for finding this out Sing.”

“Not a problem.”

“So that half-brother is not in Japan. So does that mean he could be out there somewhere.” Shorter said.

“Probably,” Alex said.

“Is it just me or does that look a little like Eiji or do all Japanese look alike?” Shorter pointed it out.

Ash saw that he wasn’t the only one thinking that since Shorter even believed that the boy looked like Eiji.

“Sing can you do something for me?”

“What is it?” Sing asked.

“Can you find out more about Ren’s brother?”

“Sure thing. For that, I will need to head into their headquarter.”

“If you're going to go in then I will go as well.” Shorter offered. He was ready for anything right now.

“What should we do boss?” Bones asked.

“Something that’s worth looking into,” Ash said.

Back in the college, Eiji was staring at his phone with an old familiar number that he has never dialled after he ran away from Japan from him. The Japanese kept staring at his phone’s screen.

EIji was afraid. Very afraid.

 _“You can’t do anything on your own.”_ His words repeated inside Eiji’s head.

“I’m not that little boy anymore. I can do things without you anymore Ren.”

Eiji made up his phone and dialled the number after a few rings a click was heard.

“Hello.”


	7. Warm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but here is the finished chapter.

Ash was in the meeting of a meeting with the rest of the mafia gangs that was in America, and the blond was already fed up. He wanted to be where Eiji was, but the Japanese were at school at the moment.

“Ash.” Shorter called out with a tap on the blond’s shoulder.

“Shorter.”Ash looked surprised.

“The meeting is over. I can’t believe that you weren’t listening again.” His best friend sighed.

“And I can’t believe that you could get through that snake’s speeches.”

“I heard that.” It was Yut-Lung standing behind Shorter with a glare at Ash.

“Oh, I didn’t see the snake there. Next time I will remember to quiet my voice down when speaking about you.”

“Why you!” Yut-lung had his hand in the air ready to hit Ash, but Shorter was there to stop their little fight.

“Ash was just kidding, right.”

Ash got up and left the room since he didn’t want to see the snake’s face at the moment.

Ash was eager to speak with Eiji, so he typical the young man’s number as soon as he was out the door, but he didn’t know if Eiji would pick up since Ash didn’t know if he was on break or had class.

“Hello.” Ash was glad when Eiji had spoken.

“Eiji.”

“Ash.”

“I’m happy to hear your voice.”

“Is that why you called?”

“Didn’t you miss me?” Ash asked.

“Of course I did.”

Ash felt better now that he heard Eiji’s voice. It was like an angel was speaking him. Even though Ash hates the word angel since there was a story that Shorter told him about and it just grossed him out.

“When are you done class today?” Ash asked. “I’ll come to pick you up.”

“I have to go somewhere with my friends.”

“Then I’ll just pick you up whenever you're done with your friends.”

“Oh ok.”

Ash felt like there was a sad little tone in Eiji’s voice, but Ash was just overthinking.

Their call ended and when it did Eiji let out a breath of a sigh.

Eiji didn’t want to lie to Ash about where he was going, but he didn’t want Ash involved.

The young man didn’t have any more classes for the day, so he headed to the headquarter that he heard that his brother was staying at.

Eiji was shocked at how big the building was.

When he had called Ren, the other had picked up, and boy was Ren surprised when Eiji called him and so Ren booked a day they could meet.

When Eiji had arrived the door opened for him, and then he was greeted.

“Welcome! Master Eiji!” Eiji did not miss this at all.

He was shown to one of the rooms that Ren was in.

When Eiji was finally faced with his step-brother, he didn’t know how to feel.

“Eiji. It has been long.”

“Yes.”

Ren and Eiji were not too far from their age, and they didn’t call one another brother.

“What are you planning to do in America?”

“I don’t see you for so long, and that’s the first thing that comes out of your mouth.”

Eiji knew this wouldn’t be the normal greeting.

“Tell me.”

“I do not need to hide things,” Ren said. “I have big plans for New York.”

“You're not thinking.”

“Yes. I will make New York mine as I did Japan.”

“What are you thinking? Your dad never did that.”

“Eiji, he is your father too. Father was too weak, but I’m strong I can make things greater.”

There was a pause for a moment.

“I see you’re still the same. Disobeying me and doing things your way.”

“I’m not like you!” Eiji left the room and out the building.

One of the mafia members entered the room couple moments after Eiji left.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. Eiji is still weak, and that’s why he won’t understand the work I put into.”

“Ren.”

“Itamaru, you worry too much. You worry too much about my brother.”

“That’s…”

“I worry too.”

 

When Ash got a call from Eiji, he went to pick him up, but he noticed the young man didn’t seem like himself and that he wasn’t speaking much either.

When they got home, Eiji went straight to his room. Ash followed right behind since he was worried about what was wrong with Eiji.

“Did something happen today?” He asked, but there was no reply

Eiji was on the bed with his body turned around away from Ash.

Ash went to where Eiji was and just patted the Japanese without saying a word. It looked like he didn’t want to talk about whatever that was eating at him.

Eventually, Eiji got up and turned to Ash and hugged him. Ash stood like that as Eiji hugged him.

“I don’t know what it is happening to you but you know I’m by your side.”

Ash then heard the cries that Eiji made, it upset him, but he didn’t want to push Eiji to tell him about what was going on with his life.

“It’s okay.” Ash hugged Eiji back.

After their little moment, the two went to the kitchen since both of them were hungry.

Eiji was surprised when he walked into the room with Ash because there was already food prepared for them.

“What’s this?” Eiji asked, confused by the food on the table.

“I made it earlier when I had nothing better to do while I waited for you.”

“You can cook.”

“That hurts you know, and of course I know how to cook. I don’t always have time.”

They sat on the table and Eiji took a bite. He was surprised.

“It’s good.” He smiled.

“It’s better then Shorter’s food for sure.”

“He cooks too.”

“Yes but I rather you not ever eat his cooking.”

“Got it.”

Eiji suddenly stopped eating since there something he wanted to say to Ash.

“Ash.” He said.

“What is it?” Ash looked directly at Eiji.

“There are things that I’m hiding that I can’t tell you about yet, but I promise you that I will tell when I feel that I’m able to.”

Ash just smiled.

“It’s fine since I also have things that I’m hiding as well.”

Both of them were on the agreement.

“Eiji, are you free this weekend?”

“I have nothing planned, and I’m usually spending the weekends with you anyway.”

“That’s true.” Ash chuckled.

“So why did you ask?”

“There’s a place that I want to take you to. It’s where I grew up, and I thought it’s time you saw it.”

“Where you grew up?”

Eiji felt happy that Ash wanted to take him there.

Dinner was finished, and while Eiji took a bath, Ash called his best friend.

“You're going to be away for the weekend with EIji.”

“Yea. So I want you to be in charge of my men as well as with what’s going on with the Japanese mafia.”

“Sure thing.” There then a giggle from the other side of the phone.

“What’s so funny!” Ash demanded.

“I think it’s cute that you are taking Eiji to your home.” Ash knew that Shorter was making fun of him.

“Shut up!”

“But I’m happy for you.”

“Shorter.”

“You told me once that you could never love but look where you are now.”

“I guess I did tell you that.”

Ash felt when he was younger that there was no hope in love for him because of the guy he was and how a lot of people feared him, but Eiji was different even if it was Ash who approached the Japanese first.

They said their goodbye and the call ended.

Eiji had come out just in time.

“Ash, did you want to take a bath as well?” Eiji asked.

“No, I’m fine. I already took one this morning.”

“Did you?” Eiji didn’t recall if he did or not.

“I took one after I dropped you off to college after my meeting.”

“Oh, that’s why?”

Eiji went to the bedside table and grabbed his phone. He then recalled the time he couldn’t speak and how hard it was for everybody to understand him and Eiji had to always used his phone or other ways to communicate with people. Ash was different he didn’t care that Eiji couldn’t speak.

“What’s on your mind?” Ash asked.

“I was just thinking about the time when we first met.”

“I remember that clearly,” Ash said. “I saw an angel.”

“What are you saying?” Eiji blushed when Ash spoke of him that way.

“Eiji come here.”

Eiji sat beside Ash on the bed and when he did Ash put his head on Eiji’s lap.

“Ash.”

“Your so warm,” Ash mumbled.

“Am I?”

“Yes. You remind of those sunflowers that my mother used to grow.”

Eiji didn’t say anything but smiled. He was happy the way Ash spoke of him.

“And you remind of Taiyo?”

“What did you say?”

“It means Sun in Japanese.”

“Taiyo, huh.”

The two stayed like that for a while.


	8. Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ash and Eiji's little vacation away from the madness

It was a long ride, and they had finally arrived at the place called Cape Cod. Eiji found the long ride fun since he could see the scenery as they drove. Every once in a while Eiji would see something that makes him surprised, and that made Ash smile at the many different sides of the Japanese.

They finally arrived at a house. Eiji was confused where Ash had brought him to. It was just the two of them.

The two got out of the car. Ash felt strange being back here after so long. Nobody lived in this old house of his anymore. His father wasn’t around, and Ash’s mother was long gone before he had a chance to know her well.

“This is where I grew up?” Ask softly spoke.

“You grew up here.” Eiji found it helpful to know more about Ash.

The place they had arrived was very peaceful, and there was a big field. It was like they were the only two around and that made it more exciting to Eiji.

Ash had planned them to stay for two days.

It felt strange to be back at home he grew up in. Ash was glad that Eiji was there with him.

The blond didn’t want to be too long far away from what is happening in New York. Ash did want to spend time with Eiji more, but he could do that anywhere it didn’t have to be at Cape Cod.

Ash started heading in, and Eiji followed suit.

The house still looked the same way that Ash remember and standing on the table was a photo of Ash and his brother that Eiji had picked up. That was the first time he saw when they entered the house.

“Is this you?” He asked, beaming with a smile. Eiji could tell it was Ash right away.

“Yea. How could you tell?” Ash asked.

“Only you have eyes like the jade,” Eiji explained with a smile.

“Is that right?”

Eiji helped Ash clean up the place up since it was a bit dusty and you can’t live in a home that could make you sick. As Ash was cleaning one of the rooms, he found a box and inside was stuff he played as a kid. The toy that his brother bought him with his first paycheck and the baseball team that he was it. It was good memories well almost.

Ash then saw a photo of a woman. It was his mother that he hardly knew since she died so suddenly.

_“She was beautiful.”_

Ash put the photo back inside the box and stuffed the box somewhere in the closet in the room. He continued to clean the room. The blond never thought he would be cleaning the house, but he couldn’t let Eiji get sick if they were staying here for two days.

The blond went to see how Eiji was doing but couldn’t find him anywhere. He looked all over the place, and now he began to worry.

“Eiji!” He called out as his voice let out a panic tone.

No answer

Ash went outside and in the field of green was where the Japanese were standing in. Ash let out a sigh of relief that he was safe and not harm, but he did worry him too much.

Ash ran to where Eiji was.

“There you are.” He said.

“Ash.” Eiji turned to face the blond. “The view here was just too nice that I had to see it.”

“You should have told me. I could have brought you here.”

“Is something wrong Ash?” Ash was annoyed since he was worried about Eiji just moments ago.

“It’s nothing. It’s head back in. I’m hungry.”

Ash turned to leave, and Eiji followed right after.

Eiji had cooked some food for them to eat.

Ash felt like he was living with Eiji for real. This was like a dream since he didn’t have to worry about fighting and the things he had to deal with his gang. It was peaceful, but he knew he had to get back to that life.

They sat across each other as they ate their food and had a delightful conversation between the two.

A couple of weeks ago he felt like Ash met Eiji for the first time. The Japanese couldn’t speak since he had a problem with his throat, but it was fixed but not completely. The doctor mentions that there could be a drawback in the pain that Eiji felt, but nothing of that has happened yet.

Once they finished their food, the two sat on the couch. The two relaxed that’s when they heard noises coming from outside. It was raining hard. Ash found it strange that it suddenly rained.

Eiji watched the raindrop.

The room was quiet.

“I like it here,” Eiji said quietly. “It’s peaceful, and I don’t have to worry about anything.”

“That’s how I feel too?” Ash nodded his head.

Even though they were this close to one another Ash felt that something was wrong with the Japanese.

_“Rean won’t stop until he gets everything.”_

Even though Eiji was far away from New York and from dealing with everything there the Japanese’s mind was elsewhere, and it shouldn’t be.

“It looks like you are leaving me behind,” Ash said breaking Eiji out from his thoughts.

“What?” He looked surprised at Ash.

“That’s feeling I get when I look at you.”

“I’m not. I’m sorry if I made you think that way. I will always be with you, Ash.” Those words made Ash smile. He liked when Eiji said them. It made Ash feel comfort.

Ash pulled Eiji closer to him until they were just inches away. The blond then pulled Eiji into his chest.

“You’re so warm.”

“I think you are.” Eiji giggled.

“I want to be with you always too, Eiji.”

They stayed like that for a while. Ash didn’t want this moment to go away.

Ash knew that Eiji didn’t belong in his world and that he should just let Eiji go somewhere far away, but Ash didn’t want that. The thought of Eiji being with somebody else other than him only made him upset.

Eiji was his angel, his love, his life.

Ash would do anything for his love.

“I’m going to kiss you,” Ash announced. Eiji looked surprised.

“Why do you look shocked? I asked you because I didn’t want you to be shocked, but here you already are.”

Ash always said things that made Eiji blush.

Ash went in for the kill and pressed his lips toward Eiji's soft lips. Ash loved kissing Eiji; he felt in heaven. He didn’t know how Eiji felt, but he thought maybe the Japanese felt the same way. Ash pushed Eiji on the couch and continue to kiss him.

It was so quiet, and only the sound of their kissing was heard. When they broke apart from the kiss both of them were panting.

“I love you a lot, Eiji.” Ash locked his lips with Eiji again.

They hugged each other and then Ash’s hand slipped under Eiji. A gasp was heard from the Japanese.

“It’s nice that I can hear your voice,” Ash smirked.

“Ash.”

“Don’t worry. I will treat you nicely.”

Ash’s hand roam underneath Eiji's shirt. A moan escaped since Ash was playing with the Japanese’s body. Eiji felt embarrassed that these sounds were coming from him.

“Ash Stop. I can’t.”

“You say that, but your body says something else.” Ash continues to do as he pleased with Eiji’s body.

“I promise you that I will always protect you so always be mine.”

“Yes. Forever.” Eiji replied.

They continue to kiss and when they broke apart. Ash carried EIji in his arms. The Japanese was light as a feather, and to Ash, he felt like he was carrying nothing since Eiji was so light.

Ash took Eiji to their room, and they continue their acts on the large bed that was there. Ash had taken his shirt off making the Japanese blush even more than before.

“I want you to be mine,” Ash said.

“Yes. I want you too.” Eiji said.

So they continue to kiss.

 

The following morning Ash woke up from the bright sun hitting his face. He saw that the rain had stopped last night. A smile appeared on his face when he saw Eiji’s face first thing in the morning sleeping next to him.

It felt like they were living together. Eiji looked adorable, and he was charming last night. He could still remember it clearly.

“You are mine. I believe that you were born to meet me.” It was cheesy to say something like that, and he would never tell Eiji about it either.

Ash could hear the little breathing that Eiji was letting out as he slept. It was still early, so he let the young man rest. Ash, on the other hand, got up. He wasn’t as tired as he usual is. He thought maybe it would be nice for Eiji to wake up with breakfast ready, so he got out of the bed but not before kissing Eiji on the forehead.

Just as Ash entered the kitchen, his cell phone rang.

“Shorter.” He said when he answered the call.

“I just wanted to check how you're doing and Eiji too.”

“We’re fine.”

“Having fun on your vacation.”

“Why does it sound like your having fun with this?”

“It’s because you have a thing for Eiji.”

“I’m going hang up.” Ash was about to since he put his ear apart.

“Wait! There’s a reason I called.”

“I’m listening.”

“There was a recent bomb attack. It didn’t kill anybody, but now a building is gone.”

“What!” Ash didn’t like the sound of that.

Ash should’ve have yelled because Eiji was sleeping. He checked in the room Eiji was in and was glad that the Japanese was still sleeping.

“Explain everything,” Ash said with a serious tone.

“The police got a bomb threat, but they thought it was a joke and didn’t think of it and then the boom it happened one of the cafes blew up but thanked God that nobody was in it. I mean the place was closed, so everybody is working there were okay.”

“Some miracle,” Ash said. “Maybe I should come back sooner.”

“You don’t have to Ash. Just enjoy one more day with Eiji. I will take care of everything including who sent the bomb threat as well if they are the same people who blew up a friendly café.” Shorter seemed angrier than before. “I liked the food there. Too bad couldn’t take Eiji there since he’s new to New York and all.”

“That’s why you're mad?” Ash sighed.

“Anyway, I will take care of things here so enjoy.” Shorter said his goodbye.

“ _Hope things are okay_.” Ash thought.

Ash had better things to do right now and cook breakfast for Eiji. He wasn’t that good of a cook like Eiji and the random stuff he made, so Ash made some simple breakfast. French Toast with egg and coffee.

Moments after Ash was done Eiji came out of his room while he was rubbing his eyes.

“Morning sleepyhead.” Ash smiled.

“I smell food.”

“I made breakfast.”

“Ash, you could have woken me up.”

“Sure. I could have, but you looked so cute when you were sleeping.” Ash explained with that grin on his face.

“Can you hear yourself?” Eiji was embarrassed once again by what Ash said that his face turned a little red.

Ash walked to Eiji and kissed him on the cheek and then walked him to the table where the two sat and had their breakfast.

“It’s good.” Eiji smiled.

Ash liked when Eiji ate his food since he made the most beautiful expressions ever.

“When we go back tomorrow I guess you will have to go back to your classes?”

“Yea the day after,” Eiji said.

“Is it rough doing your classes?” Ash asked.

“No. I enjoy it since it’s different then Japan classes and the teachers are helpful.”

Eiji liked his college but there something he didn’t want to tell Ash, and that was that he didn’t have friends. The reason for that was because he was voiceless before, but still, he felt the same way. The students that speak to him try to be friends with him, but he feels why are they suddenly want to be friends.

“Ash, next week I need to go back to Japan.”

“Huh, why so suddenly?” Ash dropped the food he was eating.

“You’re leaving, but you’re a student here.”

“I meant just for four days.”

“Oh,” Ash said.

EIji laughed at Ash’s reaction. It looked like Ash didn’t like the thought of Eiji leaving him.

“ _What a dork?”_ Eiji giggled inside. He was happy Ash wanted to be with him, and Eiji wanted to be with Ash to always and forever.


End file.
